Enjoy!
Illusory Light
"Are you positive Cleo never mentioned anything to Emily about these journals or where they were located?" I said out frustration. Katherine began walking, "No." She sat on a large rock and stared at me as I stood up and moved to a new spot to dig.
"Why don't you just summon this box thing out of the ground or do some witchy spell?"
I looked at her and exhaled, I knew she was right. I closed my eyes and tried to block out the sound of her kicking the dead leaves from under her foot. I felt the slight buzz of the energy around me then 'POP'
"Katherine!" I snapped and looked at her.
"What?" She answered back harshly.
"The gum..?" I pointed to her. Rolling her eyes, she spat out the gum and stared at me. "I spat it out, what else do you want?" I sighed and refocused once again. I felt the slight buzz again, the wind rustle against the leave. Then I felt it, the pull, I could feel the love, the longing.
"Welp, I got to run. I've got a date, call me later." Once again I was interrupted, she began walking away. I waved my hand out of frustration. "Thanks, for watching me dig for an hour and a half."
"Anytime!" She shouted as she ran at vampire speed. I growled out of frustration and refocused again. Only, this time it took long to find the energy that pulled me before. Once it hit me, I followed it. I walked into the woods, feeling the pull get stronger and then I stopped. I entered a small clearing and I knew the box was here. I walked into the clearing hesitantly and made my way to the tree on the north side. How I knew where it was, I had no idea. I began to dig and within five minutes I felt it my shovel hit something. Throwing the shovel on the ground I kneeled and came upon a small antique wooden box. A drawing was on the top of it, I reached down to grab it and pulled hard. Once, I got it out of the ground I began to dust it off.
"A lock. Great." I jiggled the top to see if it would open due to old age, of course, it didn't budge.
I looked at the inscription on the top, I stared at it for a while. It seemed so familiar yet, so foreign. I knew staying out there for long wasn't good, I grabbed the box and stood up. I made my way over to my old family plantation. Still wondering what the engraving of the symbol meant, I completely forgot about my shovel. I turned around to walk back, when I hear someone move the old creaky gate. Assuming it Katherine I rolled my eyes and turned around but, instead I was met with another face.
My Brother's.
"Cora...?" His blue eyes peirced through me. I had to be tough, show them I wasn't weak.
"Well, you look well brother. You don't look a day over 25." I joked but received no laughter. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost but then again to him I was.
Damon stepped closer towards me at a slow pace as if I was some fragile frightened deer. I raised my eyebrow at him, and looked around. "Yes, I'm alive. Yes, I am here. Yes, you are still alive. and yes, you are still a dick. Now stop looking at me like I am some freak science experiment gone wrong."
"I missed you." He embraced me hard and long. Quite frankly, I missed him as well. If anything he was the better brother in my book. Returning the embrace I heard him ask constantly how I was still alive and where have I been? Soon he broke the embrace.
"How?"
"I'm a witch." I said as I picked up the box that I dropped sometime during this exchange.
"Witch? They only live human lives unless your-" He trailed off not knowing how much I actually knew.
"Unless my real father was a different type? Yeah, beat you to the punch there. Katherine filled me in on all of the details."
Damon looked shocked, "When did you go to Katherine. Why not us?"
I shifted my stance, I became more uncomfortable. "She is the only one I knew that could tell me the whole truth and she probably knew more than you guys had known."
He was quiet, he knew I still felt betrayed by them. He didn't have to say it, I could see it all over his face. He didn't believe me but he knew he wouldn't get it out of me and he didn't press on it. "How long are you staying? Where are you staying?"
"At the Inn. Im only staying temporarily but if my search for my real family becomes more local probably permanently. And no, I am fine at the Inn." I answered his next question. We talked for a while asking how one another was and all things new. He filled me in on the whole hybrid chaos and a new girl who seemed to catch the eye of my brothers. Of course I already knew about her, Katherine had a few choice worlds about the Petrova doppleganger.
He looked well, he looked as if he was in love again, he looked happy. Yet, he looked distraught and stressed. "Can I ask you a question?" He nodded at me.
"This," I pointed to the symbol on the box, "Do you know what it means? I know it's a long shot but I was just wondering-"
"Mother's journals are in here. Aren't they?" I chose not to answer. He looked and smiled, "I have a friend that knows history, maybe he can give us more insight. " I nodded.
"Thank you, Damon. It was good to see you again, I've missed you."
I began walking away hoping he wouldn't follow. "Cordelia!" I turned around to face him, "We should- catch up sometime. Soon I hope." I nodded and smiled, "Of course, Dae. You know where to find me."I continued walking past the old creak gate, leaving him on our old plantation. Placing the box on my passenger seat, I watched him wave as I started my car. A small tear cascaded down my cheek as I pulled away. Getting back on the main road, my mind disappeared from my interaction with my first born brother and to the box where my mother's secrets we held.
I sat on the floor on the studio suite at the Mystic Falls inn, for an hour attempting to get the box open. I had tried everything from attempting to break the lock, pick the lock, even reciting a few spells in hopes it would open.
"Recludam!"
The box just sat there on the floor, still closed. I closed my eyes and spoke again.
"Recludam te!"
Lifting one eye open hoping it worked, it was to no avail. I walked over to the box and kicked it. I laid on my back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I wasn't sure how long I stayed like that but, soon I came to and looked at the clock. The red light blared 11:32.
It was light outside my window and the birds chirped. I looked at my phone and sighed seeing one text from Katherine, "Hope you slept well, Sleeping Beauty." I groaned realizing I fell asleep and missed our plans. I stared at the box, it sat in the same spot as yesterday, still infuriating me to no end.
I grabbed my phone and clicked Katherine's name waiting for her to pick up.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the ditcher."
- "Sorry, I passed out last night.
"Yeah, I figured."
- "What are you up to today? It sounds like you are in a tunnel or something, there's a major echo."
"In a family tomb."
- "Do I want to know why?"
"Well, we found Mikeal. I just don't know what to do with him. He won't wake up."
- "Did you try feeding him?"
"Way ahead of you on that. Did you open the box yet? Oh, I hear you talked to your brother by the way."
- "The box is still sitting here and yeah, luckily it was just Damon."
"Speaking of him, he's calling. I'll talk to you soon."
With that the phone call disconnected. Rolling rolling my eyes I walked towards the bathroom and began to get ready. My mind still wandered to the box and what that symbol meant.
"Cora?" My brother spoke as he saw my on the doorstep of the boarding house.
"Hey. Sorry to just barge in like this." He shook his head and moved aside to allow me to walk in. "I was wondering if you had any of mom's old stuff or at least Zelena's."
"I think there are stuff in the attic. I'm not sure it's a lot. I see you still have that box with you." I nodded. I followed him up the stairs, "So, what's with the blood stains everywhere?" I asked.
"Stefan with no humanity."
"Mhm, makes it all the more easy to castrate him." I heard my brother chuckle and nod as we walked towards a narrow door. Opening it up a stairwell was revealed, light poured out of the door way. "Oddly it reminds me of Stairway to Heaven."
"With the thing you've done, I doubt that applies for you." I said laughingly as I walked up the stairs first and he followed en suite. The stairs creaked as we walked up, I turned my head to see a beautiful stained glass window where the light poured in from. The various colors danced around the room, I turned around to see him smile and lead the way towards the back part of the attic.
"I hope your not still afraid of spiders, these thing haven't been touched in years." He teased. He pointed to three trunks, "I'm not sure what's in here but this is all of our stuff." I looked him and gave him a pouty smile, rolling his eyes he moved the cobwebs and opened the trunks to see if there were any spiders inside.
"If you need me, I'll be downstairs." He began to walk away, I turned around and hesitated. "Damon." He turned around and looked at me.
"Stay here." I noticed how desperate my voice sounded, "You know, j-just in case there are any spiders and stuff." I mentally smacked myself at how stupid that excuse was but it seemed to work and he sat on a nearby trunk. I smiled and began digging, I found an old jewelry box from Zelena and old journals from my father about his witch hunt years. Damon and I made light nostalgia conversation. We reminisced on old memories from when we were kid.
"I will never forget when mother told you not to swim in the pond and you did anyways and cleo had to pull leeches from your leg while you cried." I said laughingly, as he shook his head.
"I was fifteen. It was a scary moment for me." I pulled out an old photo of the Salvatore sibling. I stared at it for a while, then passed it to Damon. "Remember this. I was about 14 and Zelena was 10 and we were trying to round you and Stefan up but, of course all you guys wanted to do was play. You had to be 5 and Stef was probably 6. I promised to take you guys to see the horses if you took the picture for our mother's birthday. Then we went to the ranch and you rode with Zelena and I with Stefan; Stefan wanting to go faster pulled the reigns and caused the horse to stop short."
"-and Stefan broke his arm falling off a horse." I said smiling, "Father was so mad that day." He nodded. He stared hard the picture and was silent.
"I never appreciated her as much as I should have." He said softly. I looked away from the trunk I was digging in and looked at him as he continued, "The day she died, I was selfish. She had so much to go for. That asshole William got away with it and I let him."
"It's not your fault."
"It was. I was her older brother and I should've protected her just like I should've protected you and I failed." I just looked at him, I didn't know what to say. "I don't know what happened with all of us. We should've been closer. Stefan with him resenting you and I was always in my own world, Zelena always being looked down upon and you only having Cleo as a reliable person, that was my fault and Stefan's too."
"We were so close when we were little and now Zelena is dead, our brother has no humanity, I'm stuck with cleaning up the mess this time and you- you are just trying to search for your real family. I would've never pictured it like this."
I stood up, and sat next to him on the trunk and smiled, "You forgot one thing. You would've never pictured it like this but it's better than the picture was years ago. Stefan and you were close and he'll get his humanity back. I'm alive and well and I am here with you again. As for Zelena, yes she is dead, but it doesn't mean she gone; We still have her here and here." I pointed to his heart and then to his head.
I sat back on the floor and continued searching for any clues on the journals. I tried to steer the conversation away from the misfortunes of the Salvatore family. "So have you dropped the news about my arrival yet on your girlfriend?"
"Elena is not my girlfriend."
"Yet."
He chuckled but I could tell he knew I was telling the truth. "I've told her. She was shocked because Stefan and I never really talked about you, or Zelena for that matter, a lot but she wants to meet you."
"I wouldn't mind meeting her. Katherine just can't stop talking about how "lovely" she is." That earned a laugh from Damon. "How about tonight?"
"What?"
There's a bonfire thing kids at the high school do, it would be fun. Not to mention we get to sedate Stefan and fix his humanity switch." I said the last part in a sing song voice as if I was a dog and he had a bone.
"I don't know."
"We need your help. plus, did I mention the part about getting to shoot Stefan with vervain darts?" I laughed at his attempt to convince me. "Fine, but only because you need help."
He smiled brightly, as I went back to digging in the trunks. We made small talk and he went on to tell me all about Klaus and the sun and the moon curse and the that whole fiasco. I only knew bits and pieces from what Katherine told me, like the whole mikeal thing. I listened and made small comments while listening to his story about hunting down Stefan and his lack of humanity and what his mission was now.
Once, I was done searching, I heard the front door closed, I knew that Damon had left already to talk to the sheriff about something, so the only other options were the original squatting here, my no humanity having brother or the doppleganger. I spent hours searching but finally I learned there was nothing useful in the trunks other then keepsakes. I stood up and closed the trunks and made my way towards the second floor of the boarding house.
With my box in hand I walked down the steps, closing the door behind me I was met with a strong force and was pushed against the wall. Next thing I knew I felt a hand constrict my neck, making eye contact with the blonde girl I lifted my hand and burned the side of her face causing her to let go and drop me. She cupped her face and looked with anger, "Wow, didn't know my brothers invested in a guard dog."
She seemed to give me a look of confusion when I said "brothers," but at least she refrained from attacking me.
"You must be the Original by day, squatter by night, vamp my brother told me about."
"I'm Rebekah and for your information I'm not a squatter. Damon never mention a sister, whose a witch at that."
"Shouldn't be surprised. Anyways, I was on my way out." I began to walk down the stairs and she followed asking a million question. She definitely was nosy at most, but didn't seem scary. I saw the tall book stands and seemed to be drawn from them, and for some reason I followed.
"What's your name?" She said rather harshly.
"Cordelia." I looked at the bookcase in search for a book.
"And how old are you?" She shifted her stance, crossing her arms in a defensive way.
"16"
"No, your real age." She said as if I was stupid.
"Wow, you ask a lot of questions for someone people fear." I reached my hand out and out flew a photo album from when I was a child.
"I am feared because I kill, and I do love killing witches." She said in attempts to scare me.
I walked over towards the table and opened it up flipping through the pages, hoping Rebekah would leave me alone. "Do you question them to death, like you are doing to me?"
"Unhumorous and sarcastic. You are your brother's sister."
Then I found it, the one part I have been searching for all this time. Slipping my hand into a photo sleeve that held the photo of my brother's on one side and a photo of my old family house, I pulled the pictures out.
"What are you doing?"
"Shhh." I said as I pulled the photo's apart carefully. Which revealed a small key with the same inscription that was on the top of the box filled with my mother's journals. "Don't you shush me,"
I tuned her out as she continued to talk. I was mesmerized by the missing piece of the puzzle, picking up the box I placed on the floor, and placing it on the table alongside the album, I stared for a while. "well, are you going to open it already?" She asked, I forgot she was there.
my hand lightly shook as I placed the key in the lock of the box and turned. The latch lifted and the box was finally open. I gasped and laughed, I turned to Rebekah who had a bewildered look on her face. "It's a box full of journals..?" I looked at her unamused.
"What? I thought it was something mysterious like a talisman or... a severed head?"
"Don't you have a village to terrorize or something?"
"I like you." I turned my head and looked at her in confusion. "You aren't frightened by my presences and you aren't as infuriating your brothers."
I looked at her weirdly, "Thanks." I went back to the journals and took one out and opened it, I began reading and found myself siting down on the couch. Rebekah stayed silent for a bit, that is until she asked another question. "What's this this mean?"
She pointed to the symbol that has been reeling through my mind, I shrugged and shook my head. Narrowing her eyes, unsure whether to believe me or not, she eventually turned around leaving me to continue reading.